1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multipole connecting terminal which is used in wiring parts in, for example, an automobile and is designed to receive a plurality of terminals, and to a method for producing the same.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
For convenience of explanation, a conventional multipole connecting terminal will be described by referring to the drawings.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a multipole connecting terminal T shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 44-13332 (1969). As shown in FIG. 15, the multipole connecting terminal T comprises cylindrical portions 2, 2 which are formed by circularly bending opposite side areas of a metal plate 1 and are arranged parallel each other. Opposite end openings of the cylindrical portions 2, 2 constitute terminal connecting parts 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d. A main electric cable 5 is connected to a central area of the metal plate 1.
The multipole connecting terminal T to which the main electric cable 5 is attached is secured to a car body. A male terminal 11 attached to an end of an electric cable 10a is joined to the terminal connecting portions 3a of the multipole connecting terminal T. Similarly, male terminals of the other electric wires are joined to the other terminal connecting portions 3b to 3d, respectively, to form a multipole connection.
Since in the conventional multipole connecting terminal T the terminal connecting parts 3a to 3d are formed on the opposite end openings of the cylindrical portions 2, terminal receiving directions in the terminal connecting parts 3a and 3b formed in end openings of the cylindrical portions 2 are opposite to those in the terminal connecting parts 3c and 3d formed in the other end openings of the cylindrical portions 2.
Consequently, as shown in FIG. 16, when the electric cables 10a to 10d are joined to the multipole connecting terminal T, the electric cables 10c and 10d must be turned around the opposite sides of the terminal T, and the male terminals 11 of the cables 10c and 10d must be inserted into the terminal connecting parts 3c and 3d.
Accordingly, each of the electric cables 10c and 10d require an additional length of at least a length of the multipole connecting terminal T in comparison with the electric cables 10a and 10b, thereby resulting in increased costs. Also, the lengths of the electric cables 10c and 10d are usually minimized in order to hold down costs. In this case, since the cables 10c and 10d do not have sufficient lengths to turn around the terminal T, the male terminals 11 can not be readily inserted into the terminal connecting parts 3c and 3d, thus lowering efficiency in connecting the male terminals 11.